Starting device for internal-combustion engines.



B. SWAN.

STARTING DEVICE FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES.

Patented Aug. 3, 1915.

AEPLICATION FILED SEPT.25. I914.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

INVENTOR B. S u/cm.

Wax r B. SWAN.

STARTING DEVICE FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES. APPLICATION FILED sPT.25. 1914.

l ,14 ,635@ Patented Aug. 3, 1915.

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III II II II II'IllII WITNESSE INVENTOR.

B. SWAN.

STARTING DEVICE FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT.25| I914.

@359 I Pategted Aug. 3, 1915.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

WITNES 5E5. IN VE N TOR Attorney.

COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH CO-IWASHINGTONI D. cv

BENJAMIN SWAN, OF ST.

PA'NCRAS,

LONDON, ENGLAND.

STARTING DEVICE FOR INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Au 3,1915.

Application filed September 25, 1914. 'Serial No. 863,566.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, BENJAMIN SWAN, a subject of the King of Great Britain and Ireland, residing at 4.04, Euston road, St. Pancras, in the administrative county of London, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Starting Devices for lnternaLCombustion Engines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to starting devices for internal combustion engines of that type which consists of a sprocket wheel mounted on the crank-shaft of the engine or on an extension thereof by means of a one-way clutch and of a spring-controlled lever adapted to impart rotary motion to said sprocket wheel by means of a chain engaging said wheel, and it consists of an improved method of coupling the sprocket Wheel to the shaft and of controlling said coupling, the object beingto allow for an automatic disruption of said coupling in case the engine should fire back when the starting device is being employed, to effect said disruption without imparting any shock or motion to the operating mechanism, and to keep the coupling completely disengaged when the engine is running.

In the accompanying drawing which illustrates this invention applied to the clutchshaft of a motor road vehicle in which said shaft has no longitudinal movement when the clutch is disengaged, Figure 1 is a broken view in longitudinal elevation showing the device in its non-operative position, Fig. 2 is a broken view in plan thereof, and Fig. 3 is a similar view to Fig. 1 showing the respective positions of two important elements of the mechanism during the second phase of the movement thereof.

Throughout the views similar parts are marked with like letters of reference.

The sprocket wheel a is mounted to rotate loosely on the clutch shaft m-preferably running on an antifriction bearing-and said wheel is free to slide longitudinally on said shaft within certain limits. On the shaft 00 is a fixed collar or shoulder I) having on its face opposite to the sprocket wheel aa series of inclined teeth 6 the adjacent face of the boss 66 of said sprocket wheel having similar shaped teeth a tion to be operated by the driver of the vehicle is an operating lever d to which is connected one end of the chain c which engages the teeth of the sprocket wheel and has its other end anchored by means of a spring connection f to a suitable fixed point on the frame y of the vehicle. Fixed on a transversely arranged rocking shaft h mounted in suitable juxtaposition to the sprocket wheel a is a forked striker m which is adapted to engage with and move the sprocket wheel a longitudinally against the action of the spring not shown in the 'drawing-operating between said sprocket wheel and the collar Z). Mounted on the rocking shaft (Z is another lever Z to which is pivoted at its free end a striker rod 1?, which lies normally in an approximately vertical position. In or on this rod is a setoff or projection 07, which is adapted when the striker rod 92 is depressed by the action of the lever d against a suitably arranged spring cto engage with an arm or lever 1' carried by the transversely arranged rocking shaft h and thus impart such movement to said arm or lever r as will cause the forked striker m to engage the sprocket wheel a and force it into axial engagement with the part b of the clutch on the shaft m as shown in Fig. 3. The striker rod n is kept up and in contact with the lever 7" by a spring of, and on further movement of the operating lever 6Z1 the projection 12 of the striker rod 12 operates to push back the arm or lever 1" by rocking it on its pivot against the action of the spring 11?, thus not only removing the pressure of the striker m from the sprocket wheel a but preventing further axial pressure being applied to said sprocket wheel through said striker m. Thus during the further movement constituting the second phase of the operating lever (Z necessary to impart the required movement to the clutch shaft 00 the teeth a of the sprocket wheel a are only kept in engagement with the teeth 6 of the collar or shoulder b on the shaft 00 by the pressure that is being exerted between the two parts of the coupling through the operating lever (Z1 and consequently if the enginefires back the momentarily superior back pressure on the coupling enables the spring operating between the two parts of said coupling to operate to push the sprocket wheel a back axially until said coupling is broken, thus imparting no shock either to the mechanism or to the operator. A stop such as '8 may be fitted to the shaft h to prevent the fork m;

d of'a catch which is adapted to engage with the other part 6Z4 of said'catch carried by the dashboard 2 or the like, and s0 enable said lever to be fixed. and held back in close proximity to the footboard of the vehicle when not in use.

I/V hat I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. A starting device for internal combustion engines comprising a sprocket wheel mounted on a shaft coupled to the engine so as to be free to slide axially thereon; a oneway clutch for coupling said sprocket wheel to said shaft, said clutch becoming operative by the relative axial movement of one part with respect to the other; means for imparting rotary motion to. said sprocket wheel; means for' imparting axial movement to the sprocket wheel; and a striker which receives its motion from the means employed to impart rotary motion to the sprocket wheel and during the first part of the movement of said operating means imparts motion to the means employed to impart axial movement to thesprocket wheel to couple said sprocket wheel to said shaft and during subsequent motion of said operating means removes the pressure operating on said sprocket wheel to keep same engaged with the shaft on which it is mounted.

2. A starting device for internal combustion engines comprising a sprocket wheel mounted on the crank-shaft of the engine so that it is free to slide axially thereon and having inclined teeth forming one part of a one-way clutch; of a collar or shoulder fixed on said crank-shaft and having inclined teeth forming the other part of the one-way clutch; an operating lever; means for imparting the motion of said lever to said sprocket wheel; two strikers, the one adapted to "impart axial movement to said sprocket wheel and the other-which is coupled to the operating leveradapted first to impart motion to the striker operating the sprocket wheel to couple said wheel to the crank-shaft and subsequently to remove the pressure exerted by the said striker from said sprocket wheel.

3. A starting device for internal combustion engines comprising a sprocket wheel mounted on a shaft in couple with the engine and free to slide axially thereon; a series of inclined teeth forming one part of a one-way-clutch carried by said sprocket wheel; a collar or shoulder on said shaft and having a similar series of inclined teeth adapted directly or indirectly to engage the rocking arm, as set forth.

, 4. In a starting device for internal combustion engines the combination of a sprocket Wheel a mounted on the clutch shaft of the engine so that it is free to slide axially thereon; a series of inclined teeth a carried by said wheel; a collar or shoulder b on the shaft having a similar series of inclined teeth 6 a spring operating between the sprocket wheel a and the collar or shoulder Z) to keep same apart; a pivoted lever d and a chain 6 for imparting rotary motion to the sprocket wheel; springs c and f for restoring thelever and chain to their normal positions; a striker m mounted on a rocking shaft it and adapted to impart axial movement to the sprocket wheel; an arm r mounted on said rocking shaft; a vertically arranged striker bar 91, coupled with .the

of said lever; a set-off or projection in or on said striker n adapted to engage the arm lever (i so that it partakes of the movement r and impart motion'to it and through the shaft h to the striker m.

In testimony whereof I have signedmy name inthe presence of two subscribing witnesses. V

BENJAMIN SWAN;

Witnesses; V

A. MILLWARD' FLAOK, CHARLES E. VAGG.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

